Olive Oil mill tour – Nafplio activities
Natural medicine – One of the most important products that was produced in the Mediterranean ancient world was the olive oil – a natural medicine as the old used to say. Olive oil is a major component of the Mediterranean diet and is rich in antioxidants. It contains monounsaturated fatty acids that are considered a healthy fat.
The natural medicine
Olive oil is the juice that comes from the natural fruit of olives, a traditional crop of the Mediterranean region that can be plenty found in the Argolis region. Oil can be used in cooking, at the cosmetics, as a medicine, and as a fuel for the traditional lamps. The antioxidants in olive oil are protecting the body from the cellular damage and as a result preventing from different diseases and this is the reason that some experts call the olive oil as the natural standard in the preventing medicine. According to the FDA, Food and Drug Administration and the EFSA, European Food Safety Authority, consuming daily 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the best category of olive oil can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and inflammation.
The olive oil works as a natural medicine against the Metabolic syndrome, against the depression, as a prevention in order to slow or even stop the progression of the Alzheimer’s disease and as a natural medicine that prevents and sometimes even repairs the liver. The major component of the Mediterranean diet, the olive oil can improve the inflammation, the blood sugar of the body. It reduces the “bad†cholesterol and at the same time it appears to increase the “good†cholesterol, the high-density lipoprotein. In addition, the extra virgin olive oil protects the nervous system and can be useful in treating depression and anxiety.
The process in making olive oil
In the Argolis region a lot of the locals are farmers and live and grow their families from the olive trees and the olive oil. The main procedure for making the olive oil is taking place at the Olive press. In Greece there can be found a lot of Olive presses in different cities and villages and even some of them that ancient olive presses such as the one in Poros island. Olive presses are very large commercial mills that are built to process many tons of olives per hour.
So, the first step of the process starts with the collection of the fruit from the olive trees. Usually this procedure takes place by laying sails on the ground underneath the tree and moving the tree with a specific procedure that does not heart the tree or the olives in order to be collected after into big bags.
After that the olives are cleaned and all the stems, the leaves , the twigs and other debris are separated from the olives so for the fruit to be clean for the following procedure that has the washing with water of the fruit. The next step is crushing the olives into a paste that can be done with stone mills or metal tooth grinders and facilitates the release of the oil from the vacuoles.
After that the malaxing of the paste takes place for approx. 20-45 mins that allows small oil droplets to combine into bigger ones. In order to increase the yield, the paste can be heated or water can be added. The following step is the separation of the oil, the water and the solids. The last step is the filtering of the oil and the oil is being collected into barrels or small tanks.
Bekas Olive Mills
Close to Nafplio there are located many different mills that serve the local farmers. A little further out from the Ancient Epidaurus the Bekas Olive Mills can be found where you can take a tour in the mill with an explanation of the procedure if scheduled, and also where you can buy extra virgin olive oil from local farmers. At the map below you can find directions on how to go there while you can contact the manager of the mill at the below information:
P: 0030- 27530-71284
M: 0030- 6974-360086
We remain always at your disposal for the easiest communication of the tour at the mill. You can let us know when are the desired dates and times and it will be our pleasure to handle all the communication for you.
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